Knitting machine



May21,`1946. QAMIDON' I 2,400,525

KNITTING MACHINE m K i I q,

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May 21, 1946- R. c. AMlDoN 2,400,525

I KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3,y 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flay Cy.`Ain/donf7 awww- May 21, 1946- V R. c. AMIDON `2,400,525

f i l KNI'TING MACHINE l Filed Jan. 3, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 21,v1946- R. c. AMlDoN v 2,400,525

KNITTING MACHINE v Filed Jar-1. s, 1944 5 sheets-sheet 4 5 She-ts-Shet 5R. c. AMIDON KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jair. 3, 1944 ,12303 Amzoom iWHHHHM/W/ May 2l, 1946.

' Patented May 21, 1946 KNITTING MACHINE Roy C. Amidon, Reading, Pa., toVanity Fair Mills, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application January 3, 1944, Serial No. 516,777 v 15 Claims. (Cl. Sii-86) My invention relates to knitting machines, and particularly tomachines of the tricot type.

More specifically, the present invention relates to mechanism forfeeding or delivering the thread or yarn, used in the knitting process,from the warp beams to the needles. In the1 production of fabrics madeupon the tricot or so-called fastwarp machines, or in any process usingthe warp principle, the density of th'e fabric or tightness of thestitches is largely determined by the feeding (portion of yarn allottedto each knitting cycle).

In warp knitting machines the thread or yarn is initially wound on oneor more warp beams and is passed from the beams, through thread or yarnguides that are carried by the guide bars of the machine, to th'eneedles.

In order to control the turning movement of the beams it has been foundnecessary to provide a brake or clutch system regulated by the movealsoto take up the slack as released by the rotating warp beam during thetime, in the knitting cycle, when no thread or yarn is being used by theguides and/orby the needles in the knockover process. The use ofspring-loaded tension rods is not always uniform over the entire widthof the machine at various speeds of the machine.

Any stopping orstarting of the machines heretofore in use, with which Iam familiar produces an irregularity in the knitting operation,resulting in the formation of anl undesirable line or streak, called astop-mark" in the fabric.

My invention, therefore, has for its general object to overcome theobjectionable -Ieatures of the' machines above referred to.

MoreI specifically, my invention has for an object to provide anintermittent drive for each v warp beam to turn the beam in timedrelation to -the thread or yarnconsumption during the knitting cycle andcause it to discharge or release the -thread or yarn in the correctproportion and atbeams .with a continuous drive; nevertheless the use ofa tension device is necessary in this case Other objects of the`invention will in l'part bev obvious and in partbe pointed outhereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention stillfurther resides in the novel details of construction, combination and:

arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in thefollowingndetailed description, and then be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a 'front elevational view illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of 4the same looking in the direction fromleft to right in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged .detail vertical section taken on the line I-l ofFig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail end elevation looking from right lto leftin Fig. 1.

. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the main frame, drawn to the scale ofFig. l.

Fig. 'I is a front elevation of the sliding carriage, drawn on the scaleof Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view o f the same.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of th'e driving friction wheel carrier withthe friction wheels in position.

Fig. 10 is 'a top plan view of the same. A

Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical section on .the line Ii--II of Fig. 2.,

Fig. 12, Fig. 13, Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 are diagrammatic views hereinafterspecifically referred to.

Fig. 16 is a, detail top plan view of a. portion of my apparatus showingthe variable speed mechanism.

Fig. 17 is a cross sectionv o n the line Il-I'I of Fig. 1.

,In the drawings, in which like vnumerals and letters of referenceindicate like parts in al1 the figures, I' represents th'e main frame ofthe machine. top cross arm 5, the sub-frame |04, forming a part of thecross arm, and the slide-bearing member l. The member l has an opening8, into the'knitting function prof which the gears Il project, and hasvertical grooves l for the feath'ers 66 of a rack-bar' 65 later againreferred to. The frame also includes a mounting` flange 2 through themedium of which. and cap screws or bolts. the frame is mounted on an endframe 1I of asknitting' ma- This frame includes the uprights 3,'the

` chine. The frame I has a slot 4 and shaft bear# ings 6, 6', and arecess`|0 to receive the hand wheel 46later again referred to.

Mounted in bearing apertures and |02 in the main frame is a firstvertical driving shaft 38. A second vertical driving shaft 40 isjournaled in bearings |03 and 6' in that frame. The

`shafts 38 and 40 are operatively connected together to turn at the samespeed by means of herringbone gears 45, best shown in Fig. 11. The

shafts 38 and 40 have uted portions 39 and 4|. l

respectively, on which the driving friction wheels are slidably held, aswill later be more fully explained.

Mounted in suitable bearings |5 are parallel shafts I I and I2respectively, which shafts are geared together by suitable gears -I3 andI4. 'I'he shaft II terminates at the right hand bearing,

I5 of the change-'speed device, while a short shaft II' extendscoaxially from the1 end of the shaft ||`to a bearing I6. Theshaft I2termi- 'mesh with the racks 26 that are carried by the uprights'24 ofthe carriage-engaging plates 23. .These plates 23 are secured to thecarriage by cap screws 25. Y

The uprights 24 of the plates 23 on one side of thek frame are connectedto those on the opposite side by blocks 24".

.project into the openings 8 in the bearing orguide 1 and engage theracks 66 of the bar The ,sliding carriage comprises the front plate I9and back plate 20 between which spacing blocks 2| are secured'. Abearing block 22 is also secured between the plates I9 and 20 (see Figs.'7, 8 and 11). On the face of the plate I9 (and also on the plate ifdesired) are graduated scale plates 21, secured at 28 to cooperate withthe adjacent graduations 35 on the slotted arms 29 ofthe friction wheelcarrier.

-The friction wheel carrier is composed of the pairs of arms 29connected by horizontal bars 33 and secured'at their lower ends to thebase blocks The blocks 30 carry upstanding blocks 3| which are bored andtapped, as at 32, to receive the adjusting screws -49, the screws 49being mounted in bearing apertures 5| in the block 22 and having gears50 which mesh with a third gear 48 on a stub shaft 41 also journaledinthe block 22,l as best shown in Fig. 1l. Cap screws 34 pass throughthe slots of the arms 2,9 into the carriage.

Suspended rigidly from each upper base member 30, by bars 31, is a lowerbase member 36. The driving friction wheels 42, weardiscs 43 and spacers44 are located between the upper and lower base members 30 and 35respectively.

Mounted on a shaft 55, that is. journaled in bearings 6 and 12, is'adriven friction wheel.

The driven friction wheel may comprise two metal discs 52located betweena resilient disc 53 (rubber for example) which tends to maintain goodcontact at all times between the friction wheels. Cross-connecting pins54 may be provided to tie the discs 52 and 53 together. Collars 51 onthe shaft 55 and a key 56 serve to secure the driven friction wheeltothe shaft 51 (see Figs. 1 and 11). n A

'I'he beam shaft 6|.' and spool 6 I arecoupled, as at 62, to a shaft 58which is mounted in a bearing 1| and is drivenI through herringbonegears 59 and 60 from theshaft 55.

The rack bar 65 carriesA a beam-contacting roller 63, mounted in a fork64. It will be observed that the rack bar 65 moves up and downvertically along a radius of the beam and the axes ofthe several shafts38, 40, 55, 58, and those of the beam and roller and also the rack barall lie in the same vertical plane, ther ideal positions for accurateadjustments and lfunctioning of the apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. and 2, it will be seen that theshaft 38 is provided with a toothedv wheel 61 which meshes with aninterrupted flange 11 on a hub 16 hav-1 ingv a clutch member 14rotatably mounted on the cam shaft 13 (or any'other constantly movablesuitable `shaft of the knitting machine).

The member 14 may be mounted to turn on the shaft 13, but not beslidable' thereon, by means of a pin and groove connection 15. rA

vbracket 68 is mounted on the end frame 10 and l is provided with abearing 69 for the end of the v the rod 84 passes and latch the clutchin thenon-operative position.

The interrupted flange 11, meshing with the teeth of the toothed wheel61, has a curved or worm portion 18 of a suitable pitchsay enough tomove the toothed wheel one tooth for each revolution of the shaft 13.The flange 11 may also have another curved portion 19 which mayterminate in a straight end 19 which lies in a plane offset from that ofthe uncurved part of the flange 11, or it may curve back and terminatein the same plane as the uncurved part of the flange, as shown,respectively in Figs. 13`

and 15 and hereinafter more fully explained.-

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 11, a sprocket 81 is mounted lon the shaftI2. A bracket 89 is sesinker and 99 a needle of the machine, while |00indicates the thread or yarn. Figs, 12 to 15 are diagrammatic views soonagain to be referred to.

Referring now to Figs.,1, 16 and 17, it will be seen that a suitablechange-speed gearingis interposed between the shafts l, and l2, I2', a

Reeves type being-shown for purposes of illustration, but any othersuitable type may be employed if desired., The shaft extends throughthe-bearings l5' only, while shaft is mounted in the bearings I6, |16'.As before stated, the shaft |2'extends through bearing I5 and intobearing II5 (se'e Fig. 16)'. The ,shaft I2 isl mgunte'd in both backbearings I5', Fig. 16, and in a bearing -l I 6. A variable speed shaft IIl is mounted in ings H5, in the frame lll. and is connected withbearshaft I2' by means of suitable gears III and H2, the shafts I2' andil being connected by the gears H2 and H3, as best shown in Fig. 17.Shiftable coned-discs HIS are carried by and tum with the shafts n andnu, while a belt |01 takes about these pairs of discs.` Rockably mountedlevers |06 are provided for shifting the discs farther apart and closertogether to obtain the changes of speed desired, the movement of thelevers being accomplished by means of an adjusting Worm |08 and handwheel lil. I'he adjustments are indicated on a dial |09 in the usualway.

f Operation Assume lthe parts lto be positioned as shown in Fig. 1. Eachrotation of the shaft 13 will turn the toothed wheel il the distance ofone tooth,

which, with the setting of the friction and changespeed gears as shown,will advance the beam the distance required to feed off enough thread oryarn as is required for one course of the knitting. Movement of theshaft 38 is transmitted to shaft 55 through the friction drive 42, 52-53and from` shaft 55 to the'beam shaft through the. herringbone gears 59,60. The change in the positions of the friction wheels 42 with respectto the frietion wheel 52-53 varies in proportion to the decrease in thediameter of the beam as the'thread .is taken off. If itis desired tolengthen or shorten the feed of the thread to thev needles for differentknitting the clutch Bll is thrown out, thevcap screws 34 are loosenedand the setting of the friction Wheels l2 on the friction wheel 52--53is changed accordingly, after which the cap screws are again tightened.This setting is made with` reference to the scale 35 which has beencalibrated for the purpose; This change in the setting of the frictiondrive without change in the lcontrol to the beam would not alone resultin an needles by the thread guide or guides and on thedown strokes theneedles draw the thread through previously formed and knocked-overloops, there being periods of dwell during which no thread is beingdrawn from the beam. Dependingon the way the thread guides are mounted,i. e., theway they move from front to back of the needles in laying thethread. the guides pull more or less of the thread in addition to thepull of the needles.V This makes it necessary, in knitting machinesgenerally, to provide yieldable thread tensioning guides. My inventionhas been designed to do away with the resilient guides and provide apositive thread feed at all times. For example: if the thread guides 90are so mounted as to swing the nange (see Fig. 13); if, however, themove- Y ment of the thread guide SI results in a pull and a slack on thethread, then the deflected portion l'terminates in the same plane as thedwell portion of the ange or as near thereto as necessary to reverse thebeam movement to take up the on the wheel 52-53 and the propercompensation in the change-speed gearing is made by turning the handwheel H4 so that as the roller I3 moves down with the lessening diameterof the beam a proper differential is maintained between the downwardmovement of the roller 63 and the downward `movement of the frictionwheels 42 so as to feed always the same length of thread or yarn fromthe beam at each step of- Lrotational movement of the beam.

The use of herringbone gears 45,' 59 and SII, and the use ofanti-friction bearings (not shown) wherever possible will preventbacklash or loose- Y' ness in the transmission between the shaft 3l andthe beam, as well as prolong the life of the same.

When it is desired to insert a new beam in place of an empty one. theclutch Bois thrown out and the wheel 9| is turned to lift thebeam-engaging roller out of the way. After the beam has beenreplaced`with the full beam, the wheel 9| is reversed until roller 83again rests on therv thread |00.

It should be understood that when more than one beam is used in aknitting machine, my apparatus will be duplicated accordingly, i. e.,one device will be provided for each warp beam.

Attention is called to the fact that the expansible friction wheel52--53 gives a flexible contact with the driving wheels 42 and preventsslippage. Further, the outer surfaces of the discs 52 may be roughenedor milled .to aid in preventing slip- Page.

With my invention in use; a formula may be set up which will produce thesaine degree of tightness or density of stitches at all times in anygiven width of fabric, for the reason` that the back and forth and rack.the thread about the needle without a backlash of the thread, then Iprovide a flange 'Il with a deflection 'Il sufllcient to move the beamjust far enough to allow the thread guides $8 to function while keepingthe thread taut or under a constant tension, the end of the deflectedportion 'I9 terminating to Yone side of the general lplane of the dwellportion of which I am familiar the beam is driven withaoutput of warpthread or yarn is positive and is delivered to the guides and needles ofthe knitting machine in the same amounts as are used by the guides andneedles while performing their knitting cycles; the output of warpthread is not dependent-upon any cam or spring action -between v thewarp beam and the needles during the knitting process.

In the manufacture of knitted fabrics, when more than one warp beam isused, the rate of the discharge of the threads or. yarns f rom theseveral beams, in relation one to another, is very important, as fabricsof different degrees of density orelasticity are in demand fordiii'erent purposes By'the use of my invention.' changes may bev made bysimple adjustments of the several warp beam operating units wherebypositivealterations may be made to change the degree of density orelasticity of the knitted fabric. as may be desired.

As heretofore intimated, I am aware that attempts have been made' toprovide means vfor positi'vely driving the beam. In the. attemptwithcontinuous motion from a constantly rotating shaft, a change-speedgearing being provided for adjusting the spesa at wmcntne thread is ad-4 I i .vanced. Such means obviously requires theuse 1 of a yieldablethread guide between the beam and the needles in order to take up theslack while casting the thread about the needles or the slack willprevent knitting the courses evenly. In the apparatus-just referred to,an attempt has' also f been made to actuate the changespeed gearing lautomatically by connecting a lever device with the adjusting element ofthe change-speed gearingl and letting the free end of the lever rest onthe periphery of the roll of thread on the beam. This' method, however,will not result in. an ac' curate or uniformI feed vof the thread fromthe Y vices are overcome in my apparatus.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction,operationand advantages of my apparatus will be clear to those skilledin the art to which it appertains.

WhatIclaim is:

1 l. In a knitting machine having thread guides and knitting needles:

the combination with a thread-carrying beam, of means for turning thebeam in two separate steps with a dwell in between, one step being Aaforward and backward turning to maintain tension on the threads als'they are "wrapped, around the needles and the other step being a forwardturning to feed threads for the sttchdrawing lmovement of the needles.

2. In `a knitting machine having knitting nee- 1 dles, thread guides forlaying thread about they needles and a vconstantly rotating shaft: athreadcarrying beam; and means operatively connectedwith said shaft forintermittently turning said beam in two separate steps with a dwell inbey tween to deliver` a predetermined constant length -of thread to thethread guides for casting purposes, and thereafter delivering additionalthread tov the guides and `needles according'to therequirements of theneedles.

3. In a knitting machine having knittingneedles, thread guides forlaying .thread about the l needles anda constantly rotating shaft athreadcarrying beam; and means operatively connected with said shaft forturning -said beam vin two separate steps with a dwell in between todeliver a predetermined constant length of thread to the thread guidesfor casting purposes, and thereafter delivering vadditional thread totheguides and needles according t the requirements of the' needles.

4. In a knitting'machine having thread guides.

` knitting needles, a cam shaft for operating the needles landy guides,and a warp beam: power transmitting mechanism between the cam shaft andthe vbeam for turning the -beam accordingly as the knitting processcontinues, 'said lmechanism including a mem-ber on the camshafthavoperating the needles and thread guides, and

needles and guides, and a warp beam; power transmitting mechanismbetween the cam shaft l and thebeam for turning the beam accordinglyasthe knitting process continues, said mechanism including a member o nthe cam shaft having a flange, a drive shaft having a toothed wheelmeshing with said flange, power 'transmission gearing between said driveshaft and said beam,

said flange having a straightway portion and havinga curved portion forturning the wheel one tooth for each revolution of the cam shaft, and

having a second curved portion for turning the wheel a lesser-distancethan the first mentioned curved portion for purposes described.y

6. In a knitting machine having arcam shaft,

knitting needles and thread guidesfoperated from v the cani shaft, andhavinga warp beam: va sta-V tionary frame mounted on the knittingmachine; a driving shaft carried by said frame; a. driven shaft carriedby` said frame; a gear connection between said driven shaft and the warpbeam; a

friction wheel on the driving shaft and a .fric' tion wheel o n thedriven shaft engaged by the first mentioned friction wheel; a carriagefor.'

said'rst mentioned friction wheel; and means governed by the reductionin the ,diameter of the roll of thread on lthe beam for effecting thelowering of said carriage in proportion thereto,A thereby governing thedistance the beam is' turned during each revolution of the crank shaft.

7. In a knitting machine wherein are provided knitting needles, threadguides,- a cam shaft for operating the needles and thread guides, andwherein is provideda warp beam: a stationary frame mountedonfthe-machine; a driven pair of vertical inter-geared shafts mounted inbearings y on said carriage and operatively connected with said camshaft; friction drive wheels vertically slidably mounted on said shafts;a.' driven shaft journaled in bearings on said frame; -a friction drivenwheel on sai'd last-named driven shaft with both sides of which saidfirst mentioned friction wheels engage; gear connections between saidlast-named driven shaft and said warp beam; a carriage for'said frictiondrive wheels slidably mounted in said frame and continuously tending tomove inone direction to shift said friction drive wheels ony saidfriction driven wheel; and means governed by the beam for controllingvthe i movement of said carriagefor purposes described.` y 8. In aknitting machine wherein are provided knitting needles, thread guides,a. cam-shaftfor wherein is provideda warp beam: a stationary framemounted on the machine; a driven pair ofv vertical inter-gearedshafts'mounted in bearings on said carriage and operatively connectedwith said cam shaft; friction drive wheels vertically slidably mountedon saidshafts; a driven shaft journaled in bearings on said frame; afriction driven wheel on said last-named driven shaft with both sides ofwhich said first mentioned fricing a flange, adrive shaft having atoothed wheel meshing with saidV flange, power transmission searingbetween said drive shaft and said beam, Xigflange' having' a straightwayportion and havin`g`acrved portion for turning the wheel said frame and`having a pinion to engage said one tooth for .each revolution of thecam` shaft.

5. In'a knitting machinehaving thread guides,=

knitting needles, a cam shaft for opel'ting the tion Vfriction wheelsengage; gear connections between said last-nameddriven` shaft and saidwarp beam; a carriage forvv said friction drive wheels slidably mountedin said frame and continuously tending to move -in one directionV toshift said friction drive wheels'on said friction driven wheel; at leastone rack carried bysaid carriage; at least one shaft rotatably mountedon rack; a rack bar carryin'gamember engaging' vthe beam thread andcontinuously tending to move toward the axis of the beam'; and anI oper;

vertical inter-geared shafts mounted in bearings on said carriage andoperatively connected with said cam shaft; friction drivewheelsvertically slidably mounted on said shafts; a driven shaftjournaled in bearings on said frame; a friction driven wheel on saidlast-named driven shaft with both sides of which said first mentionedfriction wheels engage; gear connections between said last-named drivenshaft andl said Warp beam; a carriage for said friction drive wheelsslidably mounted in said frame and continuously tending to move in onedirection to Ishift saidvfriction drive wheels on said friction drivenwheel; at least one rack carried bysaid carriage; at least one shaftrotatably mounted on said frame and having a pinion to engage said rack;a rack bar carryingv a member engaging the beam thread and continuouslytending to move toward the axis of the beam; and an operative connectionbetween said one shaft and said rack bar,b said connection includinganother shaft having a pinion engaging the rack bar, and a speedchanging gear connection between said one shaft and said another shaft.I

10. In a knitting machine wherein are provided knitting needles, threadguides, a cam shaft for operating the needles and thread guides, andwherein is provided a warp beam: a stationary frame mounted on themachine; a driven pair of vertical inter-geared shafts mounted inbearings on said carriage and operatively connected withY said camshaft; friction drive wheels vertically slidably mounted on said shafts;a driven shaft journaled in bearings on said frame; a friction drivenwheel on said last-named driven shaft with both sides of which saidfirst mentioned friction wheels engage; gear connections between saidlast-named` driven shaft and said warp beam; a carriage for saidfriction drive wheels slidably mounted in said frame and continuouslytending to move in one direction to shift said friction drive wheels onsaid friction driven wheel; atleast one rack carried by said carriage;at least onel shaft 'rotatably mounted onsaid frame and having a pinionto engage said rack; a rack bar carrying a member engaging the beamthread and continuously tending to move toward the axis of the beamalong a radius of the beam; and an opera-- and said wheels engage; gearconnectionsl between saidA last-named driven shaft and said warp beam; a

carriage for said friction drive wheels slidably' mounted in said frameand continuously tending to move in one direction to shift saidfrictionl drive wheels on said friction driven wheel; at least one rackcarried by said carriage; at least one shaft rotatably mounted on saidframe and having a pinion to engage said rack; a rack bar l carrying, amember engaging the beam thread and continuously tending to move towardthe axis of the beam; an operative connection between said one shaft andsaid rack bar, said connection including another shaft having a pinionengaging Vthe rack bar, and a speed changing gear connection betweensaid one shaft and said another shaft; and means for changing the gearratio between said friction gears and that of said speed changing gearconnection for purposes described.

12. In apparatus of the class described: the combination with the beamof a knitting machine 'and a continuously rotating 'shaft of the same;

of a stationary frame having slideways; a carriage slidably mounted onsaid carriage; at least one friction wheel carried by said carrier; adriv-A ing shaft operatively connected with said continuously rotatingshaft by means of which said driving shaft is turned a predetermineddistance for each revolution of said continuously rotatable shaft, saidfriction wheel being slidably mounted on said driving shaft; at leastone rack carried by said carriage; at least one shaft' having a pinionmeshing with said rack and being mounted in bearings on said frame; saidframe having a slide-bearingvmember projected over said beam; abeam-thread contacting member slidably mounted in said slide-bearingmember; another shaft operatively connected with said beam-threadAcontacting member and with said one shaft; a driven shaft; a frictionWheel on said driven shaft to be engaged by said Yiirst mentionedfriction wheels; gear connections `between said driven shaft and saidbeam; by-virte of all .of which as the thread is unwound from the beamthe beam will be turned progressively farther in proportion to thereduction of the diameter of the roll of thread on the beam.

13. The machine of claim 5 wherein said flange has a third curvedportion-for turning the wheel backward a predetermined distance.

14. In a` knitting machine let-off, wherein is provided a warp beamrotatable toz let off warp means for positively rotating the warp beamintermittently in one directionV to let oif warp, means controlled bythe diameter of the warp on the warp beam for varying the extent ofeach` rotative let-off movement of the warp beam, auf? means forrotating the warpbeam inthe other direction to maintain the warp undereven and uniform tension, the improvement which includes, as a part ofsaid warp-beam-rotating means, a driving shaft having a fiange and adriven shaft having a toothed wheel meshing with said ange, said flangehaving a straightway portion and having a curved portion for turning thetoothed wheel one tooth for each revolution of said driv ing shaft, saidflange having a second curved portion for turning said toothed wheel alesser distance than the rst mentioned curved portion, and having athird curved portion for returning the toothed wheel a lesser distancethan the distancey between two teeth of the toothed wheel fortermittently 'in one direction to let on warp, means controlled by thediameter of the warp on the warp beam `for varying the extent of eachrotative let-off movement of the warp beam, and

. having a curved portion forturning the toothed wheel one tooth foreach revolution .of said driving shaft, saidflange having ,a secondcurved -portion for turning. said toothed wheel a lesser distance thanthe rst mentioned curved portion, and having a third, reversely curved,Vportion for returning the toothed wheel to the point from which it wasadvanced by said second curved portion for purposes described.

ROY C. AMIDON.

